Guardian of the Lion
by Frozen Mirage
Summary: Squall Leonhart, an ever powerful figure in the eyes of fate but what happens when Rinoa leaves him for Seifer and later gives birth to their child and never tells him. What will happen to the two Leonhart’s and how will Squall cope with being alone once
1. Beyond Redemption

**Disclaimer: Alright I don't own any of the characters that were on FF8. They belong to Square so shoo! However… I do own the original characters and story line. Bwah hah hah!**

Summary: Squall Leonhart, an ever powerful figure in the eyes of fate but what happens when Rinoa leaves him for Seifer and later gives birth to their child and never tells him. What will happen to the two Leonhart's and how will Squall cope with being alone once again? The answer is still unclear but now that events from the past are brought to fruit who knows what role they will play as the future unfolds in all its uncertainties.

**Guardian of the Lion**

**Chapter 1: Beyond Redemption**

"_My Lady, you must leave this place!" _

_Said lady looked up at the man with a faint smile on her beautiful face. For she was beautiful, as all the few survivors of her race were. Hair as pale as moonlight and her skin was smooth as cream but her eyes, while green as life itself, were old. Far older than the twenty years she appeared to be._

"_Lord Leonhart, tell me. What can I do for so courageous a man?"_

"_You will leave this place and seek safety!" He growled at her and slammed his palms on the desk behind which she sat. His long dark hair was tied back in a low ponytail but his storm colored eyes shifted from grey to quicksilver-blue with anger._

"_And why is that?"_

"_Because you are the last hope for this country's survival!" He shouted._

"_Not anymore," she answered softly, sadly and stood so that she could move beside him. "My kind is dying Maximus; our time here in this world is ending except for those who choose to see as Guardians. Forfeiting their natural forms in order to assume those that would better serve mankind."_

"_Serve mankind," he snorted. "We should be groveling at all of your people's feet for the sacrifice you have made for us."_

"_Max," she sighed softly and shook her head. This man was truly an embodiment of his name. Maximum for greatest and Leonhart for lion hearted. In all her long years she had known few like him and she was glad to have someone like him with her now. For into his care she would place her most guarded secret._

"_I cannot escape my fate," she said and slipped her arm through his and led him out onto the balcony and for a moment they both watched the sea lap at the shore while the stars overhead shined brightly._

"_Why not Airlia?" He asked miserably. "My family has served and guarded you for generations and now it has come to me and I have failed both you and my family. I have failed to protect you from harm. Tell me why you will not save yourself!"_

"_I do it to save my daughter," she answered simply and he looked at her in shock._

"_Yes, Maximum. I have a daughter and what I am about to tell you is to be told to your first born and they to their first born and so on. No others may ever know."_

"_You do my family great honor my lady." He whispered in shock._

"_I place your family in great peril," she corrected softly. "My daughter is the only one of our kind who will not be affected by this curse which consumes my kind. I have guaranteed this by giving to her all of my strength and powers and sealing her within this ring." And she handed him a silver ring made of a silver material that was carved in the shape of a lion._

"_I don't understand Airlia," he said and used her name again. "When did you conceive a child and how is she in this ring?" There was a note of hurt in his voice now, a pain that Airlia understood all too well._

"_I am adept at hiding my appearance Maximum and as for my daughter… Let's just say that she is on another plane and that ring is the only link to this one."_

"_But who was her father?" He asked tightly but she did not answer._

"_It could not be you Maximum," she said softly and looked into his eyes. "Your love for a child born of our bodies would have pulled her out of that haven and into this world. It is not the time for that yet."_

"_You are cruel," he whispered and suddenly swept her into his arms. "Must I lose everything of you then?" He asked._

"_Just as I must lose everything of you," she replied softly._

"_May I request one favor then?"_

"_Of course," she agreed._

"_Let this ring be called Griever, for I can think of no sadder circumstances for it to be forged in."_

"_If that is your wish," she agreed and let him kiss her even as she kissed him back as the sky began to lighten and the ring glowed softly in the light of the new dawn.

* * *

_

Squall woke from his dream with a start and sat up quickly. _What was that?_ He asked himself but didn't say anything aloud. It had been two years after the last battle and now he'd recently begun to have strange dreams. He looked over at where Rinoa slept and was surprised not to see her there. _I wonder what's up?_ He thought to himself but thinking she was in the bathroom or something he wasn't worried. However, he was wide awake now and wouldn't be able to get some sleep any time soon. So rather than staying in bed he decided to get dressed and maybe head to the Training Center or something. _Anything to get my mind off those dreams._

He'd been having them for awhile now and so far they had always been about that same man and woman. Squall wasn't an idiot. He knew that the man in his dreams was an ancestor of his but as for the woman… He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as she'd been (alive or in a dream) but it wasn't like the beauty that Rinoa had. Rinoa was beautiful and far more graceful than he was but hers was a beauty that soothed and was meant to be touched. The woman was almost _too_ beautiful to be real. An ethereal kind of beauty that was meant to be admired and perhaps even worshipped but not touched. And as for the ring… _was it possible that it really contained a child?_

_I'm thinking too much again._ He realized in disgust and quickly threw his clothes on and left his room. He started to head for the Training Center but about halfway there he changed his mind and headed for the Quad instead. He was in a pensive mood and didn't feel like fighting tonight.

Instead he was thinking about Rinoa. They'd been seriously together for over a year now and it had been the best time of his life. But he wanted more. Or rather, he wanted everything. He'd been seriously thinking about this for awhile now and last week he'd even gotten Irvine to go with him and help pick out an engagement ring. He'd thought about bringing Zell but decided that the blonde would get too hyperactive.

He had just passed the entrance to the Quad when he heard Rinoa's familiar voice talking with an all too familiar person.

"I have to get out of here!" She exclaimed to Seifer and Squall blended into the shadows to watch. And although he outwardly didn't make a sound, he was screaming inside.

"Then why haven't you left?" Seifer asked coolly.

"How?" She wanted to know. "Squall would know that's something up then and he wouldn't ever let me leave!"

_What?!_ Squall wanted to ask. _Why are you doing this Rinoa? I love you…_

"So, Puberty boy's gotten protective has he?" Seifer asked snidely.

"Seifer please!" Rinoa begged and threw her arms around his neck. "Take me away from all of this," she crooned and moved her face closer to his. "Be my Knight."

_Never trust anybody. All they'll ever do is hurt you and leave you._ Squall thought harshly as he watched the two of them kiss deeply.

"What's going on here?" Irvine's voice rang out and Rinoa jumped guiltily away from Rinoa.

"None of your business Cowboy," Seifer said snidely and wrapped his arm around Rinoa's waist.

"What's going on Rin?" Selphie asked as she also walked up.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rinoa asked and discreetly tried to step away from Seifer, who was having none of it, while trying to look innocent.

"Oh, just getting things ready for the party tomorrow." Irvine answered coldly. Her act wasn't fooling him one bit. "But then we heard someone talking and decided to come see what was going on. I must say Rinoa. I never imagined you for a two-timer but then again, from what I hear you still had a thing for Seifer when you started to develop feelings for Squall."

"Irvine," Selphie said gently. She could tell just how angry her boyfriend was and she was still hoping that this was some sort of bad joke. "Maybe it's not as bad as it seems."

"Oh no." Squall said and finally made his appearance. "It's much worse."

"Squall!" Rinoa screamed and jumped away from Seifer and looked guiltily at her boyfriend.

"Just leave," he said emotionlessly. His eyes were completely devoid of any emotion as Rinoa gazed frantically at him. Having him look at her like that hurt more than anything else. She thought that he would have been angry but now he was merely looking at her as though she were nothing.

"Squall I-"

"Get your belongings out of my room before you leave with him," he interrupted and nodded towards Seifer and started to leave. "If it's not gone within the next thirty minutes I'll have it burned." And then he left them all there and that was that. What Squall said went for he was the Commander.

"Slut," Irvine hissed at Rinoa as his eyes flashed in anger. He opened his mouth to say more but Selphie stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm.

"How could you?" She asked softly and then the two of them left together.

Thirty minutes later Rinoa and Seifer were escorted out of Garden by Quistis and Xu with strict warnings to never come back to Balamb Garden. Thirty-one minutes later Squall had ordered everything that she'd left to be burned along with the bed sheets and everything else that the two had shared. Then he set about cleaning it himself until it surpassed the old Garden Faculty's standards and kept right on going. He even went so far as to have the mattress replaced.

"I can't believe this happened." Zell stated simply. The whole gang had gotten together (minus Squall of course) and were discussing the rather disturbing events that had happened over the past day and a half.

"Yeah," Irvine muttered darkly. "Right after the guy goes and picks out a ring too."

"Do you mean…"

"That he was going to propose?" He asked and looked over at Quistis. "Yeah."

"I guess we'll just have to see how everything goes." Quistis said after a few long minutes of silence. The others agreed, besides, what else could they do really?

And for awhile, it was very bad. Squall refused to talk to anyone but as the days turned to weeks and weeks to months he began to let go of the pain and talked to his friends. It was a slow process but he was eventually becoming the Squall he was before Rinoa had left. Before you knew it a year had gone by and although he seldom smiled or laughed Squall was very much back to the way he used to be. Except he didn't allow anyone to get truly close to him. He'd learned his lesson and he'd be damned if he ever gave anyone the power to hurt him like that again. And he never told anyone about the dreams that had stopped after the first nine months.

* * *

**1 Year and a Few Months Later – Elsewhere…**

Seifer glared hatefully down at the sixth month old baby who was nearly the picture image of a baby Squall. The only difference was that he had Rinoa's dark hair. But the eyes, the eyes were Squall's. He'd absolutely forbidden Rinoa to name the baby until it was clear whose son he was and now… now it was only too clear.

"Get rid of it," he hissed at Rinoa who could only stare at him fearfully and hoped he wouldn't get loud enough to wake the children. He and Fujin had been married before she and Seifer got together but she died in childbirth to their twin children.

"Seifer, please." She pleaded.

"Get rid of it or I will," he threatened and pulled out his Gunblade and held it dangerously close to the baby's head.

There was no warning for what happened next. The ring that Squall used to wear on his hand and had never asked back for after that night, came to life in the jewelry box that Rinoa had put it away in. There was a white flash and then there was a woman with long hair that was a mix of midnight black and silver. Her golden eyes though beautiful, were not human, and if truth be told they resembled a cat's more than a human's.

**Pathetic little mortals. **She growled at both of them in their minds and smirked in pleasure when both humans grasped at their heads. Then she looked at the baby and picked him up and cradled him tenderly in her arms. **Will you surrender the Leonhart's child to me? **She asked Rinoa.

"No!" She cried. "I will not give my baby to a monster!"

**A monster? **Echoed the woman. **Perhaps you should look in the mirror human. You who have kept this baby underfed and have not even given him a name. **Rinoa went silent at that and looked at her baby in the arms of another. He actually seemed happy there. He was smiling up at the woman rather than showing very little emotion as he did when she held him. Sometimes she'd wondered if Squall's soul had not transferred over to their son along with his distain.

"What will you do with him?" She asked.

"Raise him," she answered in a normal voice and smiled at the baby. "Love him and allow him to become the storm that he was meant to be."

"Storm?"

"Indeed. Which is what his name shall be, though I doubt you care. Like his father before him he will be a force to be reckoned with." Her eyes cut to Seifer then and narrowed in disgust. "Unlike this one who will never be anything more than a shadow of what he could have become had he been willing not to through his soul away."

"What was that?" Seifer growled and raised his Gunblade once more.

**Be silent! I do not wish to speak with you! **She snapped and Seifer found himself unable to move. In truth he was barely able to breathe. **Will you give me the Leonhart's child? **

"You don't call him mine." Rinoa said sadly.

**That is because you are a betrayer. **

Rinoa jerked back at that but with that last comment all of the resistance faded out of her. "Take him then." She said, defeated.

And with that she was gone. And with her was the baby that had been her's and Squall's. Later that night she went and looked for the ring that Squall had given her but it too was gone.

**And that's the end of the first chapter. So as you can see. Squall's going to have to share the limelight a bit. (Not that he'll mind I bet). And as for me being so rough on Rinoa… I just read three fanfics straight in a row where Rinoa is very whiny and I guess this is my reaction… In any case this should be good (in my humble opinion). So please leave a review! **


	2. Last Gift to Man

**Disclaimer: Alright I don't own any of the characters that were on FF8. They belong to Square so shoo! However… I do own the original characters and story line. Bwah hah hah!**

Summary: Squall Leonhart, an ever powerful figure in the eyes of fate but what happens when Rinoa leaves him for Seifer and later gives birth to their child and never tells him. What will happen to the two Leonhart's and how will Squall cope with being alone once again? The answer is still unclear but now that events from the past are brought to fruit who knows what role they will play as the future unfolds in all its uncertainties.

**Guardian of the Lion**

**Chapter 2: Last Gift to Man**

Lexa pulled Nakita from the world of the ring as she disappeared and stood looking at the two children curiously. Although it was impossible to age within the world she'd created for herself and Nakita that did not mean that Nakita's mind stayed that of a five month old babe. Right now, she was as intelligent as any five year old and that was only because of the spells that Lexa and her mother had put on her to keep her mind from becoming too advanced before her body. But like all of her kind she would remember these long years one day for what they were and all of the memories, knowledge, and gifts that she would inherit from her mother.

But for so long she'd been afraid to leave the safety of the ring. Nakita needed a Champion as surely as she needed Lexa as her guardian. But now that had all changed. Lexa, over the years, had become devoted to the Leonhart family and had been waiting until a child was born that could become Nakita's companion and later her Champion. It was in this manner that she'd become the Leonhart guardian and although she would have preferred Storm to be a little bit older, there was no way she was going to allow him to suffer anymore.

And as for Storm. He was a beautiful baby with eyes the color a stormy sea and just as easily capable of changing colors as said sea. She'd been worried about how Nakita would welcome their newcomer but she should've known that the babe's would take to one another instantly. Now it was up to her to see that they grew up healthy, fit, and most importantly, loved.

And perhaps one of the best ways to do this was to go to President Loire… although Lexa could acquire gil easily she'd rather not be seen too openly just yet. Or rather, she wanted to take care of the children and a "job" would interfere.

"Shall we go then?" She asked and both babies looked at her curiously as she gathered them into her arms and they were gone.

* * *

"Hey Squall!" Zell shouted and ran up to him. Squall had just finished a rather exhausting run in the Training Center and was ready to shower and relax before going through some more paperwork. 

"What is it Zell?" He asked tiredly.

"The Headmaster said that he wants to see you A.S.A.P."

"Can it wait for me to get showered?"

"Oh yeah," Zell answered sheepishly. "Sorry man."

"It's fine." He answered wryly. "Tell the Headmaster I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

And so it went. While he was in the shower Squall thought over the events of the previous night. His dreams were back and this time they had vastly changed. Now he was dreaming of a strange looking woman who was taking care of two young children. It was strange though, the one thing he never caught a glimpse of in those dreams were the children's faces.

He put that out of his mind for now and focused on what the Headmaster wanted with him. Cid was just as lively as ever but most thought that he seemed to be looking forward to retiring. _Yeah right._ Squall thought wryly. _Then who will he boss around?_

"You asked for me sir?" Squall asked after he saluted.

"Yes I did." Cid answered wearily. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to do something that you aren't going to like to do."

Squall nodded and kept his face impassive. He had a feeling of what it would be but he was hoping that it was wrong.

"I want you to go to Galbadia and attend the memorial service that they're having along with your comrades."

"No." Squall answered and thus the long debate began…

* * *

**2 Months Later…**

"I really hate this." Squall muttered as he looked around at the mingling officials and other people of important. He didn't even bother trying to hide his frown behind the forgotten glass of wine in his hand.

"Smile Squall," Quistis scolded and poked him lightly in the arm. "You'll scare off the nice people here."

"Like Rinoa?" He asked sarcastically and cut his gaze to Quistis who flinched in return.

"Maybe she won't be here."

"It's a party isn't it?" He asked with a snort. "Trust me, she'll be here and Seifer along with her."

"Squall…" She began but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay," he said apologetically and offered a small smile. "I'm being a huge pain. I just don't like parties."

"They're not all bad you know?" She pointed out.

"Oh really?" He asked and set his glass down. "Well then Instructor, how about you teach a younger SeeD what dancing is all about?" He added and offered her his arm.

"Delighted," she returned and placed her hand lightly on his arm and allowed him to escort her to the dance floor.

"Those two look like they're having fun." Selphie said to Irvine and gestured at Squall and Quistis out on the dance floor.

"Yeah," he agreed and watched the two intently and was disappointed to realize that there wasn't even a hint of romantic feelings involved between the two of them. Irvine knew that Quistis had once had feelings for Squall but it seemed that both of them were content to be friends and nothing more.

"I take it that you two are part of the group that saved our world?" Questioned a soft female voice from behind them. Irvine and Selphie both turned to look at the woman with dutiful smiles on their faces. Time to play heroes again it seemed.

"Such dutiful faces!" Laughed the woman and shook her head at them. She was beautiful, Irvine had to give her that. She had strange dark hair mixed with silver that was piled artfully on her head and her golden eyes laughed at them just as much as her voice did. But although there was silver in her hair she couldn't have been much older than they were.

"And you are?" Irvine purred and grinned when the woman raised an eyebrow at his flirting.

"Officially? Lady Lexa of Esthar. I'm here as President Loire's representative."

"What about unofficially?" Selphie asked.

"Lexa," she answered with a grin.

"So why didn't Sir Laguna come?" Selphie asked, a little disappointedly.

"He volunteered to baby-sit for me if I came," she answered with a laugh. "How could I refuse? He's like an overgrown child himself so I know they won't be bored."

"You're a mother? You look so young." Irvine stated.

"I'm older than you think." Lexa countered with a wink but then her eyes slid past the two of them and narrowed slightly. "Do you two know who that couple is?" She asked and nodded gracefully over Selphie's shoulder. "They've been watching your SeeD Commander for a while now."

"Oh no!" Selphie yelped and whirled around. As expected, Seifer and Rinoa were standing together watching the couples on the dance floor. "Will you excuse us… Huh? Where'd she go?" Lexa had somehow slipped away while they were looking away.

"Worry about it later sweet. We gots some business to take care of." He said.

"Roger!"

Lexa smiled in satisfaction as she watched Selphie and Irvine steer Rinoa and Seifer away from the party to have a little 'talk.' Now that she was no longer bound within the ring there were certain rules that she had to abide by. _Unless I can talk Nakita out of it when she's older but then she wouldn't have to abide by the rules applying to her either… On second thought. I'd rather things remain as they are._ Speaking of which, she missed her babies. It was strange to be away from them for even a short time and it made her long for home.

"I wish you happiness Squall Leonhart." She whispered. _Along with the courage to one day let those walls around your heart down. _She wished there was something more that she could do for him but he wasn't ready. And in truth, she knew that if she was honest then she would have to reveal his on to him and she couldn't give the boy up yet. He was her child now, along with Nakita and she would let Squall into his son's life when he was ready and not before.

* * *

_Squall stood silently on a high cliff and looked around him in surprise. Behind him was clean green grass and in the distance he could see the mountains. Before him was the ocean, clear and blue but dark in the soft light of the stars and the moon. As the wind caressed his face he was surprised by just how real this dream felt. He knew this was a dream but as for its purpose he didn't have a clue. _

_As if conjured by his thoughts the sky began to change and darken. The sea also began to churn as though it were angry and the waves reached frightening heights. Then a hole opened up in the sky and from it poured out creatures he had never seen before. And although he knew it was a dream he could not help but recoil from the cold darkness these creatures seemed to be made of._

_They're bodies were strange… dark grey in color with a slightly humanoid body that was a little too serpent like with a tail. Their bodies were completely devoid of hair but their faces looked slightly human, if you ignored the sunken in look and razor sharp teeth that matched the claws on their hands. Dark grey wings held them in the air as they flew around madly. Utter despair and sorrow settled on Squall like a heavy mantle and he fell to his knees with the weight of it._

_"Rise Squall Leonhart," said a voice he knew from his early dreams and he felt a delicate hand touch his shoulder. "Rise and bear witness to what no mortal has ever seen." From the moment she'd appeared beside him the coldness that had frozen his heart had fled but when she touched him he was instantly given all of his strength back._

_"You are Airlia." He said as he rose to his feet._

_She nodded her head regally and graced him with a soft smile before her gaze returned to world around them. "Watch Leonhart. This was the first time we turned them back."_

_And then a bright light from the east cut through the darkness and the creatures screamed in agony as the brightness of it. From the sea, land, and air came the pounding of hooves along with the feelings of hope and determination and then he saw them. They were unicorns! But unlike in the texts at Garden they all had wings along with the spiral horn that glittered with their own light. With them came other creatures and Squall was shocked to see Griever there with them._

_"Her name is actually Lexa," Airlia said as suddenly and watched the battle with a bittersweet smile on her face. "We won that day but we gave much to do so."_

_It was amazing to see creatures made of what seemed to be pure light battle such dark creatures. However, there was a sadness to it. Both sides were suffering losses and that was when Squall noticed two of the unicorn who looked differently than the others. One was as golden as the sun and charged fearlessly at the creatures as though they were all his inferiors. The other was silver and built more delicately but like the golden one she fought fearlessly._

_And then the dark creatures broke off from the fighting and gathered together, planning what to do next. The unicorns also gathered together but unlike the dark ones they already seemed to have something in mind because they suddenly formed a circle around the creatures and then they all began to glow with such bright intensity that Squall had to look away. He heard the dark creatures scream in agony and pain and he could feel them dying and wasting away to nothing. Somehow he knew a retreat had been called as they fled back into the hole from which they'd come._

_Slowly the light dimmed and once it dimmed they began to fall. _

_**Help them! **He heard someone shout in his mind as the creatures that had fought with the unicorns struggled to save the falling creatures. But as they fell some of them changed into human forms but some kept their original forms._

_"We were holy creatures once. And the light that burned within our bodies was enough to turn them back." Airlia said in a voice filled with both joy and sorrow. "But we gave up our true forms to do this. Many were not strong enough to survive the change from immortal to mortal."_

_And it was true. All the unicorns had lost their wings and horns and born no mark of ever having them. All save two. The two unicorns that had looked differently from the others still had wings and on their brow was a star shape that marked where their horns had once been. But like the others they were completely naked but it was different seeing these creatures like this than normal humans. It was… heartbreaking. Something that was that never should have been._

_"The woman is you." Squall said in surprise._

_"It is," she agreed. "Lucius and I were leaders of our two clans and as the strongest we somehow managed to keep a bit of our old selves." And then the image of the battle scene slowly faded and Squall could dimly see the other creatures frantically trying to awaken their fallen saviors._

_"This wasn't the last time then?" He asked._

_"Alas no," she answered. "We fought them a second time but there were too few of us by then. Some chose to become Guardians, what you call GF's, and remain behind to help the human race. By doing so they regained their immortality but lost everything of what they once were. Save for the memories."_

_"Why were there so few of you when you still had so many there with you?" He asked._

_"You have only been human and cannot understand how it feels to go from being immortal in a body that changes with age but does not die to one that is always dieing. Many could not handle it. **I** almost could not handle it."_

_"Why weren't there any humans with you?" He asked._

_"It was still not the time of man then. The second time we had a few stand with us along with the Guardians and other immortals but to drive them back a second time took the life energy from all of us. And now we have been forgotten, as have the battles we fought. And now none remain."_

_"Except for your daughter?"_

_"Yes," she answered with a smile. "Had our kind survived she would have been the daughter of both Clans and probably would have united them into one. As it is, she will grow into the powers that her father and I left her and will probably cease to age when she is grown."_

_"Do you mean immortality?"_

_"Yes and no. Like her father and I she will live for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. However, her body will always remain as it is when she ceased to age as humans do."_

_"Why are you telling me all this?" Squall asked._

_"Because you've dreamed of it and if it is within your lifetime when the Shadow Ones return then you must know everything you can to fight them. Our time has passed and it is the time of man now. My last gift to mankind was to ensure that my daughter would be here to help you."_

_"You mean those things will come back!?" Squall growled._

_"Three chances. They have three chances to try and take over this world. They've been defeated twice and have only one left. I do not know when they will attack, it could be in ten to a thousand years but you must be prepared as must your descendents."_

_"Won't they come even after the third time?"_

_"No," she answered and her eyes flashed dangerously. "To do so would utterly destroy all laws and then they would be at the mercy of those they have fought against." She tilted her head to the side as though listening for something and sighed. "My time is up here. Remember what you have seen this night and know that the immortals will only come to help you fight if my daughter calls them."_

_"Wait!" Squall shouted as she began to fade. "Why have you placed all this on me?!"_

_"Because you live up to your name… Lion heart…" Came the faint reply and then the world itself went black.

* * *

_

Squall jerked away and threw the covers off of him and stood up all in one smooth motion. He hated it. He absolutely hated it when people acted like things were predetermined, as though they had no control over what decisions they made in life.

"I'm not a child anymore. I decide my own fate!" He growled harshly in the darkness. But for once he wasn't so sure. One thing that comforted him was that he had no child. Perhaps he would be able to get out of this is he remained childless for the rest of his life.

Squall wasn't sure but for a moment he could have sworn that he heard laughter at his last thought. Distant and silvery as though pulled across time itself. With a weary sigh he grabbed his gunblad and headed for the Training Center for another late night of hacking and slashing.

* * *

**Well this went differently than what I planned. But in a good way! Alright, time to give credit. The 'Shadow Ones' idea came from the Legend of Earthsea (or is it Urthsea?) from the sci-fi channel. The "unicorn" idea came partially from a need of something seen as universally sacred slash pure slash good and the last unicorn (you remember how she freaked out when she discovered she was human?) And for those who haven't seen the movie… watch it! Or read the book (I have both!). Let's see… next chapter, who to focus on? Squall or Storm…? I dunno, I'll just write I guess.**

**And for those who reviewed…**

**Chris – Long review! I like! However, much as I love reviews the option to write one is entirely up to you. Though for the record I'd like one every now and then grins**

**Kira – I'm glad that you enjoyed the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one as well!**

**Rusty Knight Productions – Very interesting name (and an interesting back story that goes with it!) Please let me know how you feel about this chapter.**

**Lovely Princess Peach - laughs I'm so glad that you're enjoying this so far! And as for Seifer being the bad guy… grins I couldn't help it. He just fit the part oh so perfectly!**

**dzezzzzz- I'm glad that you like the whole 'guardian' thing. And as for the Rinoa bashing… umm, would you believe me if I said that hadn't intended on it? Oh well, I'll just let the story write itself and see where it goes.**

**Well that wraps it up! Hope everyone likes it! Ja ne! **


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